Clematis heracleifolia 'China Purple' (H)

Synonyms

Clematis heracleifolia 'China Blue'
Clematis tubulosa 'China Purple'
Clematis 'China Blue'
Clematis 'China Purple'

Herbaceous Perennial

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A deciduous bushy, upright perennial with dark green leaves. Fragrant, rich hyacinth-like violet-blue flowers appear in the summer, turning to fluffy seedheads in the autumn. This variety scrambles rather than climbs

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H6

Botanical Details

Family: Ranunculaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (rabbits): Harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Clematis can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs or herbaceous perennials, mostly climbing by twining leaf-stalks, and often with showy flowers. Some have attractive fluffy seedheads in autumn
Name Status: Accepted
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: Heracleifolia Group consists of deciduous, woody-based sub-shrubs with erect or climbing stems, sometimes herbaceous, ternate or pinnate leaves, and narrowly bell-shaped or starry flowers on the current year's growth in summer and autumn

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant herbaceous clematis at soil level in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil in full sun, with the roots and base of the plant in shade. See clematis cultivation. May require support. See staking perennials for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by division or take basal softwood cuttings of herbaceous clematis in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Banks and slopes
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning (clematis) group 3

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, snails and caterpillars; petals may be eaten by earwigs

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), clematis wilt and clematis slime flux